Abbitt, J. (2010). A case study investigation of student use of technology tools in a collaborative learning project. Journal of Technology Integration in the Classroom, 2(1), 5-14. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This case study looks at collaboration with technology tools by college students on a project. The students developed a web-based math book collaboratively that could be used in an actual high school math class. They used a wiki to organize and test the book. Students had to research and collect individual data, collaborate about the content and compilation as they created the book.
Though this study was done with students in college, it shows how motivation collaboration can be and how important it is for the educator to set up clear goals and organized expectations. It was interesting to note that in the evaluation section, the students preferred email for communication rather than discussions in the wiki and our project deals with the use of email.
Basham, J., Perry, E., & Meyer, H. (2011). It’s in the bag: Digital backpacks for project-based learning. Learning & Leading with Technology. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This article discusses schools having digital backpacks that contain digital and hardware tools, resources, and instructional materials that will engage learners in project based learning. The backpacks are designed for projects in certain curriculum areas for specific projects. Having the digital backpacks provide support for all students. Students with a large range in academic abilities, cultural backgrounds, disabilities, and language backgrounds will all be supported using this Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. The article describes a variety of items that could be included in the backpacks. Podcasts, websites, videos, apps, handouts, artifacts, or many other learning objects could be included. The authors discuss the key things to remember before implementing a digital backpack for a PBL projects is to make sure all core components for UDL are there. Make sure the project is engaging to the learner. This article is important to our project because it offers ideas of how the classroom can implement PBL projects in the classroom with technology.
Bell, S. (2010). Project-Based Learning for the 21st Century: Skills for the Future.Clearing House, 83(2),39-43. Doi: 10.1080/00098650903505415.
Bell’s article how problem-based learning can not be measured by standardized testing when it comes to teaching skills to the learner. Standardized testing does not measure critical skills needed in the 21st Century. The authentic question is a motivating factor to the students, because it is applicable to the real-world. Learning responsibility, independence, and discipline are three outcomes of PBL (Bell, 2010). PBL promotes social learning as children practice and become proficient with the twenty-first-century skills of communication, negotiation, and collaboration.The project will allow students to use some of the skills needed to be successful in the 21st Century. The educator will be able to guide the students through the process of communication and collaboration. The use of digital technology will assist in answering real-world applicable questions that stimulate the interest of the students.
Boss, S. (2012). The challenge of assessing project-based learning. District Administration. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This article discusses how project-based learning can take the common core standards teachers are required to teach and allow students to be able to apply the knowledge they have learned. By following project-based learning projects the educators are moving away from bubble assessment tests and allowing for performance-based assessments to where the students can demonstrate and apply the knowledge they have learned. The article also focuses on what administrators should expect to see from what they are used to seeing in a traditional classroom. Administrators should not expect neat rows, but instead groups or teams. Students should be able to explain what they are working on and their goals they want to obtain with the project. This article is important to our project because it describes how to assess PBL projects in the classroom. Since each group will have different outcomes it is often difficult for teachers to know how to assess the projects.
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">DiBlasi, H. (2010, February). Tools for school: What's new with web 2.0. //Middle// </span>//<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Ground, 13</span></span>//<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">, 8-9. Retrieved from </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">[[http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleGround/Articles/February2010]]</span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">/Article2/tabid/2120/Default.aspx.</span>
DiBlasi’s article talks about the possible Web 2.0 technology that can be utilized in today’s learning environment. Glogster and wiki made the list of technologies that help students be successful in the 21st century. Also these Web 2.0 technologies not only allow students to produce material on the web, but it also encourages conversations in both synchronous and asynchronous manners. Teachers are no longer the only medium for information exchange and with these Web 2.0 tools students will learn from their cohort in their learning environment as well as from peer around the world.
This article is relevant to our project because the mention of Glogster and wiki as innovative Web 2.0 tools. Glogster will allow students to be creative in how they express their knowledge and then posting this on a class wiki will allow for online collaboration and discussion of the information. Allowing student to collaborate with the student in their physical learning environment as well as with student online brings a fresh perspective to learning and information in the creation of patterns with learning or grouping of knowledge.
Ertmer, P. A., Richardson, J. C., Belland, B., Camin, D., Connolly, P., Coulthard, G., Lei,K. and Mong, C. (2007), Using peer feedback to enhance the quality of student online postings: An exploratory article. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12: 412–433. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00331.x
This article investigates the impact of “peer feedback which is used as an instructional strategy to increase the quality of students’ online postings” (Ertmer, Richardson, Belland, Camin, Connolly, Coulthard, & Mong, 2007). This article addresses the perceptions of students giving and receiving peer feedback and how it affects their learning according to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
This article will be beneficial within this project because our students will be giving and receiving feedback from their cohort in the different schools. Their postings and feedback will not be within the setting of an online course as it was in the article but through the use of blogs within their learning communities. This article will help to give us insight in this area of the project.
Graham, E. (2013, August 15). National Education Association. Retrieved from Using Smartphones in the Classroom: http://www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm
This article is about a real-life veteran teacher who has spent years working to transition his classrooms into a collaborative room where smart phones and mobile devices are the major technologies used as student learn about history. This teacher has pointers for those educators with zero-tolerance policies where phones in class are concerned and stresses that the main way to ensure that the devices are being used for educational purposes. He claims that changing the classroom dynamic from lecturing to a classroom with no front allowing the teacher to facilitate and oversee work as students stay on task. It’s all about adapting and changing to create a successful classroom that works for the current world environment.
The article has many sites linked that would be helpful for our project and that would work with email and with smartphones and personal devices. This article talks about using remind101 to keep the kids organized with due dates and reminders, and different safe sites for wikis for storing information that has been compiled collaboratively. "Times New This research can be helpful in our project because many of the practices used in the study give some great examples of what has gone wrong along with some good advice for how to prepare and resolve some of the issues. One of the major issues noted was around the digital divide, depending on the wealth of the school itself, and some ways teachers dealt with this, making it a non-issue. The mindset of teachers was discussed and had some good advice for how we can make sure that our own opinions and concerns are not an issue when we implement the type of project our learning community has in store.
Jou, M., Chuang, C., & Wu, Y. ( 2010). Creating interactive web-based environments to scaffold creative reasoning and meaningful learning from physics to products. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 9 (4), 49 – 57, Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This study consisted of 30 sophomore students that were required to design a mobile robot that would be able to perform a specific task. The course was completed online without any face-to-face instruction, but working online in small groups of 4-5. Through surveys the students provided positive feedback about the interactive learning environments. The students felt that the interactive web-based environments helped to enhance their course success.
This study is important to our project because it provides research that PBL and interactive projects do provide benefits to students’ success.
Judd, T., Kennedy, G., & Cropper, S. (2010). Using wikis for collaborative learning: Assessing collaboration through contribution. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(3), 41-354. Retrieved Education Research Complete database.
The researchers look at wikis in the collaboration for various projects. They tracked the student behavior as learners collaborated through the wikis and the findings were that the individual students did appear to become involved in the collaboration as contributors and appeared to be motivated through different assignments. Thought they were looking at the wikis, the major topic turned out to be facilitation and collaboration and the way it could be set up and organized. The researchers also claimed that the wiki itself promoted collaboration, however the way it was organized and facilitated by the educator contributed more to the actual success of the learning and collaboration.
This research is important to our project because it shows how motivating successful collaboration can be, however at the same time, it reminds the educator of the importance of how to set up the lessons for collaboration because in some cases the set up or the actual lesson plan can create barriers rather than fostering collaboration. Goal setting and desired outcomes, in addition to basic ground rules will go a long way in promoting successful collaborative learning and this research supports that fact.
Kim, P., Ji-Seong, H., Bonk, C., & Lim, G. (2011). Effects of group reflection variations in project-based learning integrated in web 2.0 learning space. Interactive Learning Environments 19 (4), 333 – 349, Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This case study looks at undergraduate students who were enrolled in a 14-week hybrid course. The students were assigned to small groups of 3 or 4 for the course. At the mid-point and end-point of the course the students completed a survey to measure the team effectiveness of the project. From the middle of the course to the end of the course the self-reflections, group-reflections, and instructor-supported reflection all increased. The study found that promoting a supporting learning through group reflections is essential for team project learning in a Web 2.0 community. Web-based learning should have activities that allow for group critical thinking and collaborative problem solving. This study is important to our group project to see that students working in small groups allow for the students to think more critically and allow for them to problem solve in a collaborative group.
Kutnick, P., Ota, C., & Berdondini, L. (2008). Improving the effects of group working in learning environments with young school-age children: Facilitating attainment, interaction and learning environment activity.Learning and Instruction, 19(1),83-95.
Kutnick et al’s article noted recent research shows that, although children in primary school learning environments are often seated in groups, those same children aren't collaborating or learning effectively within these groups. This article’s focus was to assess and compare experimental and control primary-level classes for attainment (reading and math), motivation for collaborative work, and, behavioral and communicative actions.
Upon conclusion of the article, it was found that the children in experimental classes -- where more dynamic, multimedia technologies were infused into the curriculum -- demonstrated more improvement that those in control classes. The critical factors were attainment of learned concepts, motivation for working with others, group and on-task behaviors and high levels of communicative interaction with group cohort. Kutnick et al concluded that young children are indeed capable of participating in stimulating and collaborative group work.
This article discusses the essential elements to having project-based learning projects in the classroom. The following are the essential elements: 1.Significant Conten 2.21st- Century Skills 3.In-Depth Inquiry 4.Driving Question 5.Need to Know 6.Student Voice & Choice 7.Reflection & Revision 8.Public Audience
The essential elements will have lessons that go beyond memorization of content and allow project-based learning to engage students while working on the 21st Century learning skills.
This article was important to our project to know the steps in Project-Based Learning and using 21st Century Skills.
Lending, D. (2010). Using a wiki to collaborate on a article guide. Journal ofInformation Systems Education, 21(1), 5-13. Retrieved from ERIC database.
Lending’s article looked at the creation of a yearend article guide through collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies. Lending discovered that students need to be taught how to collaborate or be given specific guidelines. However, through the collaboration of multiple students much more work can be accomplished. Lending also observed how the learn-centered education model worked in a real life application. The ultimate learning outcome for this project was to move from knowledge acquisition to knowledge integration.
M.B. Tinzmann, B.F. Jones, T.F. Fennimore, J. Bakker, C. Fine, and J. Pierce. NCREL, Oak Brook, 1990
This article discusses basic characteristics found in successful collaborative classrooms: flexible relationships between teachers and students, new approaches to instruction, and composition of the collaborative classroom. New and multiple perspectives on issues and representations are discussed. The authors talk about the opportunities for students to participate in self-regulated learning and relate this to motivation for learning. The teacher’s approach to instruction changes as the instructor becomes a mediator and creates a classroom that allows students to hold maximum responsibility for learning. Classroom control, time management and individual student differences are discussed as challenges and conflicts.
This information could be helpful for our project organization because it discusses different methods for implementation such as scaffolding and connecting as the project is developed and introduced. Methods for modeling and application are discussed and would also be supportive for our learning community project.
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online. San Francisco, CA
This book provides educators with direction and strategies for fostering student engagement through collaboration. The importance of learning outcomes, clear directions for completion, assessment, reflection opportunities, and learning cycles are discussed in detail. Using technology for collaboration, virtual teaming, and non-traditional methods for learning are an integral part of this book and the advise and examples are extremely helpful. In addition to the writing, the book shares quite a few resources for case studies, articles, and other resources as part of its composition. “ This book helps education professionals improve the practice of online teaching and learning by providing concise, practical resources focused on particular areas or issues they might confront in this new learning environment” (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).
This book will be a great benefit to our group as we work toward setting up our project, establishing learning goals and directions, assessment methods through collaboration, collaboration rubrics, and feedback guidelines for collaborative learning, designs and challenges and application of team practices. Our project involves learning about other cultures and environments through online collaboration and many sections of this book will be useful in this endeavor.
This study examined teacher perceptions of the positive and negative impacts of using technology for professional learning and for teaching. The impacts of using digital technologies with students and how digital technologies are incorporated into classroom pedagogy is a big part of the study. The study found that online information gathering was at the top of the list for most of the teachers and students as the part of the background survey at the beginning of the research. Email was also listed as part of the online information gathering process, along with social networking, consuming videos and online products, texting, and engaging with online resources. The survey did find that teachers felt that using digital technologies in their classrooms and allowing students to use their personal devices helped them in their teaching. At the same time, the procedures bring new challenges and drive them out of the traditional classroom methodology.
This research can be helpful in our project because many of the practices used in the study give some great examples of what has gone wrong along with some good advice for how to prepare and resolve some of the issues. One of the major issues noted was around the digital divide, depending on the wealth of the school itself, and some ways teachers dealt with this, making it a non-issue. The mindset of teachers was discussed and had some good advice for how we can make sure that our own opinions and concerns are not an issue when we implement the type of project our learning community has in store.
This article discusses the ways that students of all ages can learn and collaborate successfully, creating the need for something other than the “linear, age-grouped, teacher-guided curriculum”(Richardson, 2008). The author claims that collaborating with others from around the world, including those we may never meet, is actually becoming a normal occurrence, instead of an exception. Instead of being handed a curricula, students are co-creating, solving problems, and most importantly, sharing knowledge gained from each other. Richardson suggests that teachers focus more on teaching students how to connect rather than trying to teach them all of the content. In addition to teaching the student to connect, we must make sure to maintain a balance between the face-to-face and the virtual lives.
This article has many helpful examples of collaborative projects, sites, and tips for success that will be extremely useful in our learning community project. We can learn much from these examples as they contain the good and the bad, along with tips for successful implementation. In addition, there are links to sites that will help us sift through for the most relevant and safe sites for use. There are helpful sites linked that will help us show our students how to search for bloggers who share this passion for collaboration and ways we can model this new technology in our own classrooms.
Simkins, M., Cole, K., Tavalin, F., & Means, B. (2002). Increasing student learning through multimedia projects. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
This article focuses on project based learning in the classrooms that involve exciting class discussions as well as productive learning. Students are given topics of interest that spark the most interesting conversations. It also addresses that project work can be loose synonymously with group work. It also brings out the point that project-based learning redefines the boundaries of the classroom.
Tomlinson, C. A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction & understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
This article by Tomlinson and McTighe focuses on curriculum design. It unravels the understanding of teaching in academically diverse classrooms, while considering the evidence of learning in diverse classrooms. The article sets out a road map of how focusing on curriculum and instruction as a whole seems to bring the big picture of curriculum development all together.
Vasquez, J., Sneider, C., & Comer. M. (2013). Project-Based Learning. In STEM lesson essentials: Integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pp. 111 – 122). Ports Mouth, NH: Heinemann.
The chapter of this book discusses the characteristics of Problem-Based Learning. This explains effective ways that the project should be broken apart to make it more manageable for the groups to be working and staying engaged. It discusses how using PBL effectively can support multiple learning styles through a variety of instructional strategies. There is a section that benefits those who are new to PBL on how to be successful and manage PBL in the classroom. Some of the tips include how to keep the students engaged that try to have others do the work and they just take the grade.
This book was important to our project because it describes in detail how to engage students for Problem-Based learning. There are many steps to follow to make an effective project be beneficial to the students.
This article explains what project-based learning is, what the learner outcomes should be, and how to obtain success with project-based learning. This article is the first of five articles on project-based learning. In addition to this article there are links to evidence-based components for successful problem-based learning, the best practices, how to avoid pitfalls, and an annotated bibliography. When accessing this through Edutopia there are links to the various studies.
This article was important to our project because it provides very detailed step in implementing a Project-Based Learning activity. The annotated bibliography provides many links to other websites to find out more information about
Best Sources: Karen Wagoner
I found Education Research Complete and Edutopia to be useful resources for this project that our learning community is doing and for use in my own classroom. There were so many useful links in the Edutopia article that I found myself getting sidetracked and off topic because of the fun in discovering new ways to implement some technology collaboration in my own room. Also, I enjoy reading the blogs and comments that often accompany some of these articles.
Best Sources: Kellie Scott
The STEM Lesson Essentials book was very beneficial in explaining how to go about planning PBL lesson in the classroom along with tips to make the projects run more smoothly. Edutopia is a useful resource to find resources. The article I read was full of links to find more information about the topic.
Best Sources: Allison Hill
For this assignment, I found both ERIC and Education Research Complete useful resources. They had articles on project-based learning and collaboration that supported our group's project. The Journal and Tech and Learning happens to be one of my favorite magazines. These articles provide me a snapshot of current project-based learning projects.
Abbitt, J. (2010). A case study investigation of student use of technology tools in a collaborative learning project. Journal of Technology Integration in the Classroom, 2(1), 5-14. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This case study looks at collaboration with technology tools by college students on a project. The students developed a web-based math book collaboratively that could be used in an actual high school math class. They used a wiki to organize and test the book. Students had to research and collect individual data, collaborate about the content and compilation as they created the book.
Though this study was done with students in college, it shows how motivation collaboration can be and how important it is for the educator to set up clear goals and organized expectations. It was interesting to note that in the evaluation section, the students preferred email for communication rather than discussions in the wiki and our project deals with the use of email.
Basham, J., Perry, E., & Meyer, H. (2011). It’s in the bag: Digital backpacks for project-based learning. Learning & Leading with Technology. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This article discusses schools having digital backpacks that contain digital and hardware tools, resources, and instructional materials that will engage learners in project based learning. The backpacks are designed for projects in certain curriculum areas for specific projects. Having the digital backpacks provide support for all students. Students with a large range in academic abilities, cultural backgrounds, disabilities, and language backgrounds will all be supported using this Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.
The article describes a variety of items that could be included in the backpacks. Podcasts, websites, videos, apps, handouts, artifacts, or many other learning objects could be included. The authors discuss the key things to remember before implementing a digital backpack for a PBL projects is to make sure all core components for UDL are there. Make sure the project is engaging to the learner. This article is important to our project because it offers ideas of how the classroom can implement PBL projects in the classroom with technology.
Bell, S. (2010). Project-Based Learning for the 21st Century: Skills for the Future. Clearing House, 83(2), 39-43. Doi: 10.1080/00098650903505415.
Bell’s article how problem-based learning can not be measured by standardized testing when it comes to teaching skills to the learner. Standardized testing does not measure critical skills needed in the 21st Century. The authentic question is a motivating factor to the students, because it is applicable to the real-world. Learning responsibility, independence, and discipline are three outcomes of PBL (Bell, 2010). PBL promotes social learning as children practice and become proficient with the twenty-first-century skills of communication, negotiation, and collaboration.The project will allow students to use some of the skills needed to be successful in the 21st Century. The educator will be able to guide the students through the process of communication and collaboration. The use of digital technology will assist in answering real-world applicable questions that stimulate the interest of the students.
Boss, S. (2012). The challenge of assessing project-based learning. District Administration. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This article discusses how project-based learning can take the common core standards teachers are required to teach and allow students to be able to apply the knowledge they have learned. By following project-based learning projects the educators are moving away from bubble assessment tests and allowing for performance-based assessments to where the students can demonstrate and apply the knowledge they have learned.
The article also focuses on what administrators should expect to see from what they are used to seeing in a traditional classroom. Administrators should not expect neat rows, but instead groups or teams. Students should be able to explain what they are working on and their goals they want to obtain with the project. This article is important to our project because it describes how to assess PBL projects in the classroom. Since each group will have different outcomes it is often difficult for teachers to know how to assess the projects.
DiBlasi’s article talks about the possible Web 2.0 technology that can be utilized in today’s learning environment. Glogster and wiki made the list of technologies that help students be successful in the 21st century. Also these Web 2.0 technologies not only allow students to produce material on the web, but it also encourages conversations in both synchronous and asynchronous manners. Teachers are no longer the only medium for information exchange and with these Web 2.0 tools students will learn from their cohort in their learning environment as well as from peer around the world.
This article is relevant to our project because the mention of Glogster and wiki as innovative Web 2.0 tools. Glogster will allow students to be creative in how they express their knowledge and then posting this on a class wiki will allow for online collaboration and discussion of the information. Allowing student to collaborate with the student in their physical learning environment as well as with student online brings a fresh perspective to learning and information in the creation of patterns with learning or grouping of knowledge.
Ertmer, P. A., Richardson, J. C., Belland, B., Camin, D., Connolly, P., Coulthard, G., Lei,K. and Mong, C. (2007), Using peer feedback to enhance the quality of student online postings: An exploratory article. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12: 412–433. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00331.x
This article investigates the impact of “peer feedback which is used as an instructional strategy to increase the quality of students’ online postings” (Ertmer, Richardson, Belland, Camin, Connolly, Coulthard, & Mong, 2007). This article addresses the perceptions of students giving and receiving peer feedback and how it affects their learning according to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
This article will be beneficial within this project because our students will be giving and receiving feedback from their cohort in the different schools. Their postings and feedback will not be within the setting of an online course as it was in the article but through the use of blogs within their learning communities. This article will help to give us insight in this area of the project.
Graham, E. (2013, August 15). National Education Association. Retrieved from Using Smartphones in the Classroom: http://www.nea.org/tools/56274.htm
This article is about a real-life veteran teacher who has spent years working to transition his classrooms into a collaborative room where smart phones and mobile devices are the major technologies used as student learn about history. This teacher has pointers for those educators with zero-tolerance policies where phones in class are concerned and stresses that the main way to ensure that the devices are being used for educational purposes. He claims that changing the classroom dynamic from lecturing to a classroom with no front allowing the teacher to facilitate and oversee work as students stay on task. It’s all about adapting and changing to create a successful classroom that works for the current world environment.
The article has many sites linked that would be helpful for our project and that would work with email and with smartphones and personal devices. This article talks about using remind101 to keep the kids organized with due dates and reminders, and different safe sites for wikis for storing information that has been compiled collaboratively. "Times New This research can be helpful in our project because many of the practices used in the study give some great examples of what has gone wrong along with some good advice for how to prepare and resolve some of the issues. One of the major issues noted was around the digital divide, depending on the wealth of the school itself, and some ways teachers dealt with this, making it a non-issue. The mindset of teachers was discussed and had some good advice for how we can make sure that our own opinions and concerns are not an issue when we implement the type of project our learning community has in store.
Jou, M., Chuang, C., & Wu, Y. ( 2010). Creating interactive web-based environments to scaffold creative reasoning and meaningful learning from physics to products. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology 9 (4), 49 – 57, Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This study consisted of 30 sophomore students that were required to design a mobile robot that would be able to perform a specific task. The course was completed online without any face-to-face instruction, but working online in small groups of 4-5. Through surveys the students provided positive feedback about the interactive learning environments. The students felt that the interactive web-based environments helped to enhance their course success.
This study is important to our project because it provides research that PBL and interactive projects do provide benefits to students’ success.
Judd, T., Kennedy, G., & Cropper, S. (2010). Using wikis for collaborative learning: Assessing collaboration through contribution. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(3), 41-354. Retrieved Education Research Complete database.
The researchers look at wikis in the collaboration for various projects. They tracked the student behavior as learners collaborated through the wikis and the findings were that the individual students did appear to become involved in the collaboration as contributors and appeared to be motivated through different assignments. Thought they were looking at the wikis, the major topic turned out to be facilitation and collaboration and the way it could be set up and organized. The researchers also claimed that the wiki itself promoted collaboration, however the way it was organized and facilitated by the educator contributed more to the actual success of the learning and collaboration.
This research is important to our project because it shows how motivating successful collaboration can be, however at the same time, it reminds the educator of the importance of how to set up the lessons for collaboration because in some cases the set up or the actual lesson plan can create barriers rather than fostering collaboration. Goal setting and desired outcomes, in addition to basic ground rules will go a long way in promoting successful collaborative learning and this research supports that fact.
Kim, P., Ji-Seong, H., Bonk, C., & Lim, G. (2011). Effects of group reflection variations in project-based learning integrated in web 2.0 learning space. Interactive Learning Environments 19 (4), 333 – 349, Retrieved from Education Research Complete database.
This case study looks at undergraduate students who were enrolled in a 14-week hybrid course. The students were assigned to small groups of 3 or 4 for the course. At the mid-point and end-point of the course the students completed a survey to measure the team effectiveness of the project. From the middle of the course to the end of the course the self-reflections, group-reflections, and instructor-supported reflection all increased.
The study found that promoting a supporting learning through group reflections is essential for team project learning in a Web 2.0 community. Web-based learning should have activities that allow for group critical thinking and collaborative problem solving.
This study is important to our group project to see that students working in small groups allow for the students to think more critically and allow for them to problem solve in a collaborative group.
Kutnick, P., Ota, C., & Berdondini, L. (2008). Improving the effects of group working in learning environments with young school-age children: Facilitating attainment, interaction and learning environment activity. Learning and Instruction, 19(1), 83-95.
Kutnick et al’s article noted recent research shows that, although children in primary school learning environments are often seated in groups, those same children aren't collaborating or learning effectively within these groups. This article’s focus was to assess and compare experimental and control primary-level classes for attainment (reading and math), motivation for collaborative work, and, behavioral and communicative actions.
Upon conclusion of the article, it was found that the children in experimental classes -- where more dynamic, multimedia technologies were infused into the curriculum -- demonstrated more improvement that those in control classes. The critical factors were attainment of learned concepts, motivation for working with others, group and on-task behaviors and high levels of communicative interaction with group cohort. Kutnick et al concluded that young children are indeed capable of participating in stimulating and collaborative group work.
Laur, D. (2012). Eight essential elements of project-based learning. Retrieved from Education World: http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/key-elements-project-based-learning.shtml
This article discusses the essential elements to having project-based learning projects in the classroom. The following are the essential elements:
1. Significant Conten
2. 21st- Century Skills
3. In-Depth Inquiry
4. Driving Question
5. Need to Know
6. Student Voice & Choice
7. Reflection & Revision
8. Public Audience
The essential elements will have lessons that go beyond memorization of content and allow project-based learning to engage students while working on the 21st Century learning skills.
This article was important to our project to know the steps in Project-Based Learning and using 21st Century Skills.
Lending, D. (2010). Using a wiki to collaborate on a article guide. Journal of Information Systems Education, 21(1), 5-13. Retrieved from ERIC database.
Lending’s article looked at the creation of a yearend article guide through collaboration and Web 2.0 technologies. Lending discovered that students need to be taught how to collaborate or be given specific guidelines. However, through the collaboration of multiple students much more work can be accomplished. Lending also observed how the learn-centered education model worked in a real life application. The ultimate learning outcome for this project was to move from knowledge acquisition to knowledge integration.
M.B. Tinzmann, B.F. Jones, T.F. Fennimore, J. Bakker, C. Fine, and J. Pierce. NCREL, Oak Brook, 1990
This article discusses basic characteristics found in successful collaborative classrooms: flexible relationships between teachers and students, new approaches to instruction, and composition of the collaborative classroom. New and multiple perspectives on issues and representations are discussed. The authors talk about the opportunities for students to participate in self-regulated learning and relate this to motivation for learning. The teacher’s approach to instruction changes as the instructor becomes a mediator and creates a classroom that allows students to hold maximum responsibility for learning. Classroom control, time management and individual student differences are discussed as challenges and conflicts.
This information could be helpful for our project organization because it discusses different methods for implementation such as scaffolding and connecting as the project is developed and introduced. Methods for modeling and application are discussed and would also be supportive for our learning community project.
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online. San Francisco, CA
This book provides educators with direction and strategies for fostering student engagement through collaboration. The importance of learning outcomes, clear directions for completion, assessment, reflection opportunities, and learning cycles are discussed in detail. Using technology for collaboration, virtual teaming, and non-traditional methods for learning are an integral part of this book and the advise and examples are extremely helpful. In addition to the writing, the book shares quite a few resources for case studies, articles, and other resources as part of its composition. “ This book helps education professionals improve the practice of online teaching and learning by providing concise, practical resources focused on particular areas or issues they might confront in this new learning environment” (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).
This book will be a great benefit to our group as we work toward setting up our project, establishing learning goals and directions, assessment methods through collaboration, collaboration rubrics, and feedback guidelines for collaborative learning, designs and challenges and application of team practices. Our project involves learning about other cultures and environments through online collaboration and many sections of this book will be useful in this endeavor.
Purcell, K., Heaps, A., Buchanan, J., & Friedrich, L. (2013, February 28). How Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms. Retrieved from Pew Internet and American Life Project: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teachers-and-technology/Methodology.aspx
This study examined teacher perceptions of the positive and negative impacts of using technology for professional learning and for teaching. The impacts of using digital technologies with students and how digital technologies are incorporated into classroom pedagogy is a big part of the study. The study found that online information gathering was at the top of the list for most of the teachers and students as the part of the background survey at the beginning of the research. Email was also listed as part of the online information gathering process, along with social networking, consuming videos and online products, texting, and engaging with online resources. The survey did find that teachers felt that using digital technologies in their classrooms and allowing students to use their personal devices helped them in their teaching. At the same time, the procedures bring new challenges and drive them out of the traditional classroom methodology.
This research can be helpful in our project because many of the practices used in the study give some great examples of what has gone wrong along with some good advice for how to prepare and resolve some of the issues. One of the major issues noted was around the digital divide, depending on the wealth of the school itself, and some ways teachers dealt with this, making it a non-issue. The mindset of teachers was discussed and had some good advice for how we can make sure that our own opinions and concerns are not an issue when we implement the type of project our learning community has in store.
Richardson, W. (2008, 12 3). World Without Walls: Learning Well With Others. Retrieved from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-technology-will-richardson
This article discusses the ways that students of all ages can learn and collaborate successfully, creating the need for something other than the “linear, age-grouped, teacher-guided curriculum”(Richardson, 2008). The author claims that collaborating with others from around the world, including those we may never meet, is actually becoming a normal occurrence, instead of an exception. Instead of being handed a curricula, students are co-creating, solving problems, and most importantly, sharing knowledge gained from each other. Richardson suggests that teachers focus more on teaching students how to connect rather than trying to teach them all of the content. In addition to teaching the student to connect, we must make sure to maintain a balance between the face-to-face and the virtual lives.
This article has many helpful examples of collaborative projects, sites, and tips for success that will be extremely useful in our learning community project. We can learn much from these examples as they contain the good and the bad, along with tips for successful implementation. In addition, there are links to sites that will help us sift through for the most relevant and safe sites for use. There are helpful sites linked that will help us show our students how to search for bloggers who share this passion for collaboration and ways we can model this new technology in our own classrooms.
Simkins, M., Cole, K., Tavalin, F., & Means, B. (2002). Increasing student learning through multimedia projects. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
This article focuses on project based learning in the classrooms that involve exciting class discussions as well as productive learning. Students are given topics of interest that spark the most interesting conversations. It also addresses that project work can be loose synonymously with group work. It also brings out the point that project-based learning redefines the boundaries of the classroom.
Tomlinson, C. A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction & understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
This article by Tomlinson and McTighe focuses on curriculum design. It unravels the understanding of teaching in academically diverse classrooms, while considering the evidence of learning in diverse classrooms. The article sets out a road map of how focusing on curriculum and instruction as a whole seems to bring the big picture of curriculum development all together.
Vasquez, J., Sneider, C., & Comer. M. (2013). Project-Based Learning. In STEM lesson essentials: Integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (pp. 111 – 122). Ports Mouth, NH: Heinemann.
The chapter of this book discusses the characteristics of Problem-Based Learning. This explains effective ways that the project should be broken apart to make it more manageable for the groups to be working and staying engaged. It discusses how using PBL effectively can support multiple learning styles through a variety of instructional strategies. There is a section that benefits those who are new to PBL on how to be successful and manage PBL in the classroom. Some of the tips include how to keep the students engaged that try to have others do the work and they just take the grade.
This book was important to our project because it describes in detail how to engage students for Problem-Based learning. There are many steps to follow to make an effective project be beneficial to the students.
Vega, V. (2012). Project-based learning research review. Retrieved from Edutopia: http://edutopia.org/pbl-research-learning-outcomes
This article explains what project-based learning is, what the learner outcomes should be, and how to obtain success with project-based learning. This article is the first of five articles on project-based learning. In addition to this article there are links to evidence-based components for successful problem-based learning, the best practices, how to avoid pitfalls, and an annotated bibliography. When accessing this through Edutopia there are links to the various studies.
This article was important to our project because it provides very detailed step in implementing a Project-Based Learning activity. The annotated bibliography provides many links to other websites to find out more information about
Best Sources: Karen Wagoner
I found Education Research Complete and Edutopia to be useful resources for this project that our learning community is doing and for use in my own classroom. There were so many useful links in the Edutopia article that I found myself getting sidetracked and off topic because of the fun in discovering new ways to implement some technology collaboration in my own room. Also, I enjoy reading the blogs and comments that often accompany some of these articles.
Best Sources: Kellie Scott
The STEM Lesson Essentials book was very beneficial in explaining how to go about planning PBL lesson in the classroom along with tips to make the projects run more smoothly. Edutopia is a useful resource to find resources. The article I read was full of links to find more information about the topic.
Best Sources: Allison Hill
For this assignment, I found both ERIC and Education Research Complete useful resources. They had articles on project-based learning and collaboration that supported our group's project. The Journal and Tech and Learning happens to be one of my favorite magazines. These articles provide me a snapshot of current project-based learning projects.